Low Rise Jeans And Rock Music
by BlackRoseKai
Summary: So, what if our faithful little Haruhi hadn't been the one who stumbled into the Host Club that day? What if Rikku Samato did instead? Insanity! rated M just in case. Please Review so I know what you think!
1. Chapter 1: From Today, You're a Host!

All I was trying to do was hide. To get away from all of the people at Ouran. Flee to somewhere quiet so I could study some and just be. Of course that wouldn't happen.

"Well," I choked on words, staring at the dangerously good looking boys in front of me. "This is awkward."

"I'd say so," the boy in glasses saying, scribbling some things down in a black notebook. He was older than me but it couldn't have been by a lot. Maybe a year. "You broke something very important to us."

"Um," I said slowly. I couldn't afford the tiling on the floor of Ouran, much less some stupid misplaced vase.

"We were going to auction that off," the twin said glaring at me.

Those two, I knew because they were in the same class as me. The Hitachiin twins, Hikaru and Kaoru. They didn't really talk to me but I'd never tried to talk to them. I had other things to worry about. Little did I know, I was about to spend a lot of time with them.

"How much?"

"Roughly? Eight million yen," glasses boy said.

I'd never see eight million yen in my entire life. Ever. Damn rich people. Who just leaves eight million dollar vases sitting in the middle of the room?

"Judging from your uniform, you don't have a lot of money so in other words: You're now the Host Club's dog."

I hung my head at the title. Great. Another job. That's all I needed.

"Are you okay?" the little blonde Lolita asked, skipping up to me, tightly holding his bunny. "My name is Honey and this is Usa - chan. What's your name?"

"R-Rikku. Rikku Samato," I managed out. I wanted to scream and faint, right there.

"You don't look so good," Honey said, his large fawn eyes looking up at me. "Doesn't she look like she's going to faint, Takashi?"

I went from looking down to looking up, in an instant. Takashi Morinozuka. Third year with Honey, the little bottle of joy that was now shoving his bunny doll in my arms.

"Usa - chan will make you feel better," Honey said skipping away. Mori dutifully followed him.  
"There is another way," glasses boy said, standing next to me still scribbling stuff down in that little black notebook - I had to give it a better name.

"Another way to what?" I asked.

"If you could get a thousand girls to request you, the debt will be all paid off."

"What was your name again?" I asked.

"Kyoya Ootori. Now, for our bargain. You can become a host and once a thousand girls have requested you, your debt will be repaid. Hitachiins!"  
The twins were suddenly in front of me, with devilish grins on their faces.  
"Clear her up. Like a host," Kyoya instructed. I had a new name for him alright. Devil Man. And that Black Book of Demon Knowledge.

"Yes sir!" The twins said together, grabbing me by both arms. They rushed me to the changing room It was a whirlwind of activity. I got a hair cut, mostly because mine made me look like a psycho. It got cut short enough that you'd have a hard time grabbing it in a fight but it was long enough to style.

"Time for wardrobe," they announced shoving me behind the curtain.

I wanna see! I wanna see!" came Tamaki's voice from behind the curtain.

"Sorry boss but" they began together  
"but you can't go in there," Kaoru said.  
"Rikku's changing." Hikaru said.

That doesn't mean anything."  
"Boss NO!" They cried, trying to hold him back but he came trough the curtain anyway. I'd just taken off my first layer of clothing. I'd already put on the uniform pants and was working on the shirt.

"Get out of here you creeper!" I cried, kicking him like a football. I quickly got dressed before we pursued the matter any further.

Honey and Mori clapped in approval, as did all of the Host Club except Tamaki who was content to just cry about me kicking him in the face.

"So, why were you in a boys uniform?" Hikaru asked.

"Because, they way more comfortable, and I really don't have a body type for the girls uniforms. They were also cheaper."

They looked at me like they'd never heard of the word cheaper. Damn rich people. I had a feeling like I was going to be saying that a lot.

"So... you're a girl?" Tamaki cautiously asked.

It wasn't like I looked like a boy. I mean, with my lack of chest and short hair it was easy to make the mistake but I didn't sound like a boy. A four year old boy maybe but that was about as close to a boy as I got. Most girls did.

"Yes," I sighed.

"But, from now on, you'll be masquerading as a boy," the Devil man said. "Until you pay off your debt."  
"We should let you show off her feminine charm!" Tamaki cried. What melodrama.

"Boss, you thought," Hikaru began.  
"she was a girl until just now," Kaoru continued.  
"We don't think that feminine charm is an issue," they finished together.

"Are you insulting me?" I growled raising a fist at them.

They just grinned devilishly at me.

"In that case," Tamaki said, being as over dramatic in his movements and his words as humanly possible. "From today, Rikku Samato, you are a host!"

Damn.


	2. Chapter 2: Falls Down Fire Escapes

One month... That's exactly how long I'd been apart of the Ouran High Host Club. I didn't think I'd survive so long at first but now... after my first fight of the school season... I knew I wouldn't.

_If I can just make it through first hour without the twins freaking out about my face, _I thought. I had a big purple bruise on my chin and a fat, split and swollen lip. _Maybe I'll have a good lie by the time we get to the host club._

__I kept my head low as I stepped onto the campus. I didn't wave or say anything to anyone. I took my seat between the twins and laid my head down. I had class with the Hitachiins all day so I had to figure out a reason to have my head down.

"Hey, Rikku," Kaoru said from my right.  
"Is something wrong?" Hikaru asked.

"No," I said slowly. "Just a headache."

The didn't say anything for a moment. I almost tempted to peak to see if they were staring at me but just as I was about to, they started speaking again.

"We don't believe you," they said flatly.

That was the craziest thing I'd ever heard. "Why not?" I asked, not even bothering to hide my irritation.

"You don't get headaches," Hikaru said.

Scratch that last. _That _was the craziest thing I'd ever heard. "Are you stupid?" I cried jerking up but I gasped remembering myself and ducked my head.

Kaoru grabbed my arm. I yelped. I had a bruise there too. Hikaru managed to get his hands on my face.

"Stop!" I whined. It hurt for them to touch me. I was covered in bruises.

"What happened to you?" Hikaru breathed, his hands slipping away from my face.

"Nothing."

"That's a lie," Kaoru said flatly. Like his twin, his eyes were huge with worry and fear.

A lie hit me. Just like that. "It's kind of embarrassing," I said looking down. "Last night I was going down my fire escape to pay my rent for the month and I fell down. I rolled down like two flights of stairs."

They almost didn't buy it. Actually, they weren't close to buying it but they thankfully didn't press it any longer... probably because they didn't even know what a fire escape was. Much less to the fact that I didn't have one.

I pimped that story around the rest of the day. Stupid rich people. They believed anything. As the day drug on, my heart began to work over time, my chest hurt, and it felt like I was drowning for air.  
It seemed like the host clubroom was a million miles away but I finally managed to stagger in weakly, gripping my chest. The pains had gotten worse.

Honey, not aware of my situation, tried to get me in one of his usual kill someone tackle hugs. We both went rushing to the ground because I didn't have the strength to catch him. I flinched, preparing for impact but it never came.

Mori caught us. There was a surprise. He was like the dark scarey protector of Honey. Thank god for reflexes. Honey instantly dropped to his feet. Mori swung me up and carried me to the couch.  
I was gasping for air.

"What happened to my poor little baby?" Tamaki cried, attempting to fling himself on me. He was blocked by Mori.

"You don't look so good, Ri - chan," Honey said, his fawny eyes filled with worry. Reminded me of how the twins looked at me.

"She's hurt," Mori said. that was probably the longest sentence he's ever said in front of me. He didn't talk to much.

"What happened to your face, Rikku?" Kyoya asked. Again with that stupid demon knowledge book. I wanted to demolish it to watch him cry...

But that would have to wait until I could breathe again. I gripped my chest tighter. My world had little black star bursts dancing across it.

"Um, Kyoya - sempai," Hikaru said.  
"We think something's really wrong," Kaoru said.  
"Would it have anything to do with your fall down the fire escape?" they asked, leaning in.

I shook my head furiously.

"We know what a fire escape is by the way," Kaoru said.  
"and we know you wouldn't have one." Hikaru said.  
"So what really happened?" they demanded.

"Not now," Mori insisted. He was sure talkative today. "She can't breathe."

"We should take her to the nurse," Honey said, holding Usa - chan tightly. "She really looks bad."

I shook my head again.

"No choice," Mori told me, picking me up again. "Mitskune."

I didn't have the will power or the strength to fight off Mori or wiggle away. I just wanted the pain to stop. It did. Once I passed out.

When I woke, I was in a nice soft bed. So I knew i wasn't mine. The linens were nice and soft too. Wait. What time was it?

I jerked up, making my head swirl like a blender.

"Whoa," I gasped.

"Slow down," Kyoya said, adjusting his glasses. "According to the nurse, you had an asthma attack. Were you aware you have chronic asthma?"

"No." another lie."What time is it?" I asked.

"Four o'clock," Hikaru answered.

_Damn it, _I thought, jumping up. the world danced and I almost fell forward. Mori caught me, with a warm arm in front of me.

"You're sick!" the twins cried.

"You don't need to move so much!" Tamaki wailed.

"I - I have to go," I choked, feeling weaker than when I woke up.

"I'll be happy to call for a car to take you home," Kyoya said. He really didn't sound to happy.

"I - I'm not going home," I said as Mori sat me back down. My voice was shaking as much as my hands were.

"Then any place you wanna go, we'll take you," the twins insisted.  
"You're sick," Kaoru informed me. Like I didn't know.  
"And injured," Hikaru agreed. Again, talk about a news flash.

"The nurse did express concern about your injuries," Kyoya said, adjusting his glasses again. That was an annoying habit of his.

"It's nothing," I said standing, more slowly this time, to gain some bearings. I had to get half way across town and fast but I couldn't get a ride with the,. "I have to leave."

"Ri - chan" Honey said trying to use his puppy dog eyes to sucker me into staying and explaining. "We can't help you if you don't tell us what's wrong."

I smiled and patted the top of his head. "It's nothing. really. Just a bad couple of days. I'll see you guys tomorrow."

With that. I squeezed past their objections and out cries, ran down the hall and street. To face yet another day in my double life. I wondered how much longer I could hold out.


	3. Chapter 3: Throwing Up Truth

"You're late Rikku," the bouncer (I'd secretly name him Bo) said as I passed. He was the only one here who didn't look at me like I was a toy or something.

"I know. I know. Got caught up at school," I said shaking my head. I had to go home and change from my nice Ouran uniform into my ratty street clothes.

"The boss is waiting for you," he said letting me pass.

"Later."

"Hope I recognize you." he called.

_Me and you both Bo, _I thought, heading inside the building.

It was like a whole other world inside that building. There were angry screaming people circled around two people waging war against each other. Sweat, blood, and fancy perfume filled the air. I didn't even stop to watch the fight. I'd seen it all before. I shoved my way to the locker rooms.

"Rikku," the man said, grabbing my arm and dragging me away. "It's about time. It's nearly time for your fight. Boss!"

Boss Sebachi was an older man. He always wore fancy italian suits and chewed on a cigar. He always looked bored.

"Rikku," he half growled. He had a voice that reminded me of someone gargling gravel. "you have to lose tonight but it won't be an easy loss."

I hated it when he said. He meant that there was a large chance that this guy was going to beat me to death. He was just another sadistic fighter. I almost didn't want to do it. Boss must've sensed my apprehension.

"Remember, Rikku," he said leaning close to me. I could smell the cloves in his cigar. "You still owe me."

_I always will, _I thought. Doc taped my hands and I headed for the ring.

My heart beat painfully against my chest. The screams faded into a roar that didn't make any sense. I didn't care what they were saying. My opponent entered the ring.

_Why are they always so ugly? _I wondered. the guy was like eight hundred feet tall and a million pounds. He had a big scar across his face and he was just ugly.

The match started. I faked a good fight but in got beaten up really bad. I couldn't even walk out of the match. doc and a couple of other fighters drug me out. Bo took me home.

I laid in bed, sobbing from how bad I hurt. There was no way I could make it to school the next day. I finally drifted to sleep some where around six o'clock in the morning.

~~Mori's P.O.V.~~

Rikku wasn't at school. I could tell that everyone was pretty worried. The girls asked about her but we just said that we didn't know.

"Takeshi," Honey asked me in a tiny voice. "Do you think that Ri - chan's okay? She was really hurt last night."

I didn't like to lie. Especially to my cousin. Judging by how Rikku had looked the day before, chances were that she wasn't too healthy. Mitsukune understood my silence like normal.

Finally, after it was more than obvious that none of the hosts were up for hosting, Kyoya dismissed all the girls. Then, he pulled out his cell phone.

"Kyoya - sempai," Hikaru - or Kaoru I never could tell them apart - said.

"What are you going to do?" his twin finished.

I felt Mitsukune crawl up my back.

"I'm going to find our other idiot," he answered flatly.

_I just hope she's okay. _I thought closing my eyes in silent prayer.


	4. Chapter 4: These Children Learn

There was a pounding on my door. It was annoying. It was like someone was beating on my head.

_How much did I drink last night? _I wondered, knowing how I like to throw some down to dull the pain. _Wait, don't have any of that stuff. I'm trying to sober up._

__Then headache was just from the hammering I got last night from Big - n - ugly. The knocking got louder.

"Crucified Christ," I grumbled, dragging myself out of bed. I hurt all over and there were blood stains on my sheets and clothes. I was too tired to clean up last night.

"Rikku!" came a familiar voice. That was Tamaki.

I froze, my heart pounding. _What are they doing here?_ My mind was racing. _How did they even find my house? Kyoya... _I couldn't let them see me how I was. I didn't want to see them at all.

How long had I been asleep? Shouldn't those idiots be in school? They could pound out there all day. I wasn't going to answer them.

I stumbled back to my my bathroom and jumped in the shower. The hot water took some of the ache out of my tired muscles. I climbed out, steam billowing around me. Nothing better than a hot shower.  
The knocking was still going on. Why wasn't someone shooing them away? Useless landlord.

I disposed of my blood caked clothes and pulled on a pair of basketball shorts and a Black Hearts tee-shirt. There was still knocking. Man, they were persistent.

I bandaged myself up and took some Tylenol. Those guys just weren't going to quit. How much longer until they just figured I wasn't home?

"We know you're in there, Rikku!" the twins said loudly.  
"Answer the door!" Kaoru said.  
"Or we're kicking it in!" Hikaru finished.

I couldn't afford a new door and door frame. I hurried to answer it. Just in time too. Mori had his leg raised to kick it in. Did they have no common sense among them? I sighed, pushing Mori's leg down.

"Jeez," I said looking at the ground. "You would've thought when I didn't answer that I didn't want visitors."

Tamaki nearly tackled me over. I yelped, shoving myself from his grasp, falling to the floor.

I looked up. They all looked mortified - even the usual stone faced Mori and Kyoya. I knew I looked terrible but they didn't have to stare.

"I'll make some tea," I said getting to my feet. "Take your shoes off."

They did as I instructed. Not so talkative anymore. They sat at my kitchen table. I brought the tea in and sat with them.

"What are you doing here?" I demanded, not wasting anytime on formalities.

"We were worried after you didn't come to school today, Ri - chan," Honey said in a small voice.

"Especially after what happened," the twins threw in.

"Well did it ever occur to you that I just didn't feel well?" I cried. "I can take care of myself! I don't need your help! Or sympathy!"

I may have over reacted a tad. Just a smidge.

"We just wanted to make sure you're okay," Tamaki said. Even he was serious.

"I'm fine," I spat. "I just... I'm just sore and tired okay? I just needed to sleep yesterday off. Once you finish your tea... I'd like for you to leave."

I got up and left, heading for my room.

_I don't need their help. I'm just fine on my own. _I thought angrily. I slid down into the floor.

"Thank you for your hospitality," Kyoya said through the door.

I didn't answer. I heard all of them leave. Crucified Christ, what had I gotten myself into?

~~Mori's P.O.V.~~

_Something about this whole thing is wrong,_ I thought as Mitskuni and I rode in the limo back to our respective homes. _I just can't get it out of my head. _

__The image of Rikku, someone who was almost smaller than my cousin, beaten up and bruised, gazing up at us in pain and fear... it was drilling into my head and it wouldn't leave.

"Takeshi," Mitskuni said, his legs dangling above the floor of the car. "Are you thinking about Ri – chan?"

"Ah," I confirmed.

"Me too," he said, staring down at his feet. "I can't help but wonder if she's in real big trouble."

He was probably right. That made me crazy.

"I wish we could just get her to tell us," he admitted.

A plan instantly cooked up in my head but I couldn't tell Mitskuni. Not that I wanted to keep secrets from him... It was just something that I needed to do alone.

~~Rikku's P.O.V.~~

I woke to knocking again. I hadn't realized that I'd fallen asleep sitting in front of my bedroom door. I sat up and stretched a little before standing and stumbling to the door.

I pulled it open, thinking it may have been Bo, but I was surprised to find Mori – without Honey. Today was just full of surprises.

"M-Mori - sempai," I stammered, moving so he could come in. "What are you doing here?"

He didn't answer but I really wasn't expecting one. I shut the door.

"Would you like some tea or something?" I asked. I really hated tea but kept in the house for visitors.

"No," he said. "I want to know what happened to you."

Of course that's what the whole visit was about. I hesitated. It was one thing to tell the host club but another to tell Mori. I liked him more than the rest of the guys in the host club. He was sort of normal, which was a big deal in the Host Club. He didn't really seem that into hosting. I guessed that it was mostly conditional to be around Honey.

"Rikku," he pressed.

I looked up at him. He was standing really close to me. Close enough so I could smell him. He smelled good too. Kinda like Bod Really Ripped Abs and a ting of sweat.

I gasped and looked back down to hide my sudden embarrassment. Once I gathered my brains, I looked back up at him. "Okay," I said seriously. "But if I tell you, you have to pinky promise not to tell anyone."

I held up my pinky. Mori linked his pinky with mine, looking only slightly confused.

"This pinky promise is legit. Break this pinky promise and I'll break your pinky - promise." I told him seriously.

"Deal," he agreed.

I took a big breath and filled him in.


	5. Chapter 5: Falling Victim

The club seemed to accept the fact that I wasn't going to fill them in. Mori kept his promise but I could sense the change since he knew. He just watched me more carefully and I seemed to run into him more than I used to.

I wasn't fighting every night, which was good. Everyone accepted that I was just clumsy. Golden Week was coming soon and the best part was I didn't have any fights the whole time. I was free to do what ever.

Or so I thought.

I was leaving the school building when the twins caught me. A limo pulled up in front of us. This wasn't good.

"Capture," Hikaru said.  
"Complete," Kaoru said.

The limo window went down. Tamaki. I should've known.

"Good. Let's move."

"Wait. What?" I choked confused but my cries fell on deaf ears and I was tossed into a limo with the Twins.

Next thing I knew, we were at the beach. The Hitachiins shoved me into a dressing room.

"Just pick one!" Kaoru called.  
"They're all our mother's latest designs!" Hikaru agreed.

There must have been thirty bathing suits in that room. I looked around, finally just picking a random one. The only issue was I had a couple of bruises on my stomach.

Finally, I picked the one with short shorts and a matching bikini top. It was black, contrasting my pale skin, with purple and red accents and designs.

"That's a great choice!" The twins gave my selection a thumbs up.

"Here," Tamaki said shoving a shirt and shorts into my hands. "It's not appropriate for a girl to wear that in front of a bunch of boys."

I pulled on the extra clothes, glad that Tamaki gave them to me. We all walked down the the beach where Mori, Kyoya, and Honey were waiting.

"Ri - chan!" Honey called, laughing. He seemed to be having the time of his life.

There were girls down there. I recognized them as guests from the Host Club. Of course Kyoya was going use a vacation as a way to make some cash. Leave it to the Devil Man to ruin my first trip to the beach.

"Hi Rikku!" my usual guests swooned.

"Hi ladies," I said flashing them my best host club smile.

It was a fun day. I didn't swim because I wouldn't go in my clothes. Which was a waste of life.

It was getting close to sunset. I was hunting for shells on the edge of the beach. Some of the girls were standing on a giant boulder next to me.

"Rikku, you should come up here," one of them said. "It's so pretty."

"You need to be careful," I warned them. "Don't fall off."

I heard male voices that didn't belong to the host club members. They actually sounded kinda drunk. I rushed up when I heard one of the girls squeal.

I swung at one of the men. There were three of them. My fist collided with the man's chin. He grabbed me by the shirt. The girls ran off, calling for help.

"You think you're tough pretty boy?" the guy said backing me toward the edge.

I squeezed his wrists, trying to get free. Someone called my name.

"Let's see how tough you are, after a swim!" He threw me off, laughing drunkenly.

Splash!

I was being carried by someone big and strong.

"Takeshi, is she okay?' Honey asked.

I opened my eyes. "I'm fine," I said weakly. "You can put me down now Mori – sempai."

He did as I asked.

"What happened?" Tamaki demanded. "Why did you think you could fight those boys? You're just a girl."

"Trust me," I said. "If that pansy hadn't thrown me off the boulder I would've been fine. I'm sorry to make you all worry."

Tamaki didn't say anything else. I felt Mori shift uncomfortably behind me.

"Look," I said staring down at the ground, my arms wrapped around myself. "If there's something that you need to say, say it."

Honey was the one who spoke up. "You shouldn't have tried to fight those men, Ri - chan," he said. "You're not like me and Takeshi. you don't have any training."

"You don't know what you're saying," I told him stomping off.

I went to my room and changed into dry clothes. I was seething at the boys' reaction to the situation. I wasn't useless. I could handle myself.

There was a knock at my door. I answered it, slowly. Just in case I didn't want to talk to them.

"Can I come in?" Mori asked.

"Sure," I said allowing him to enter. I shut the door behind him.

"That was reckless," he told me.

"But I couldn't just run for help! I could fight back better than the other girls could," I explained, my face flushing. It tended to do that around my ginormous sempai.

"I know," Mori said. "You did the right thing."

He patted the top of my head. I looked up at him, my eyes connecting with his.

"Are they all really mad at me, sempai?" I asked. I sounded like a little kid.

"No," he said. "Concerned."

I didn't think I believed him. I thought he was kind of mad at me.

"I'm not mad either," he said as if he was reading my mind.

"I don't believe you," I admitted. It was way easier to talk to Mori than the rest of the guys.

He held up his pinky. "I'm not mad. Nobody else is either," he told me. "Pinky promise."


	6. Chapter 6: Caught

I left the Host club in suspense that night. I still wasn't ready to get them involved. I knew I couldn't avoid it forever. But I thought I had longer... I didn't think that curiosity would get the best of my friends.

~~Kyoya's P.O.V.~~~

My phone was hot against my face. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Though, it all really added up, I still couldn't believe it.

"Thank you," I told the man on the other end of the line. "Goodbye."

I clicked the phone shut. _What... how did Rikku get involved in something like that? She's just a kid._

__I might not have know just yet what her reasons for being involved in something that, but I was going to find out. Before something really bad happened.

I hoped.

~~Rikku's P.O.V.~~

_Another rough night, _I thought as I struggled to pull off my tee - shirt. My muscles burned in protest of the movement.

I buttoned up my shirt and slid on my dress pants. I really hated the uniforms but the boys uniform was a hundred times better than the girls.

I carefully pulled on my shoes and walked to school. It was a long walk but it was nice.

_I can't keep this up much longer. Something has to give. I just hope that something isn't me. I should've almost paid Boss off_.

As usual, I was greeted by the twins in their vice like cocoon hugs. I'd gotten so used to it that I didn't even yelp anymore. After the twins got done sticking to me, we'd trump off to class. After school, we'd head off to the host club. Yep, just a normal day.

"Ri - chan!" Honey greeted me happily with a tackle hug. "How was your day?"

"Great Honey - sempai," I said smiling at him. "Hello Mori – sempai."

He nodded at me,with a slight smirk. I had to look away to hide the growing blush. Yeah, I was totally crushing on my sempai. It was a classic situation. which made me want to throw up. It wasn't one of those girls.

As the guests arrived, we all took our places. I entertained like usual. After the guests left, I cleaned up because that was part of my deal to pay off the Host Club.

Usually, the guys just left but this time, they hung back. That instantly made me suspicious.

"Rikku," Kyoya said. "We need to talk to you."

"Um, okay?" I said cautiously. "What's wrong?'

All of them looked at me seriously. My eyes connected with Mori's. He didn't seem to know what it was about but I couldn't really be sure.

"I hope you won't take offense when I tell you that I've been having the Ootori private police tail you for the last week," Kyoya said, straight up as always.

"How could I not take offense to that, Kyoya - sempai?" I cried my eyes flashing with anger. "What - why is it any of your business what I do?"

"We all kinda convinced him to do it,"Hikaru said.  
"We were really worried," Kaoru agreed.

"I don't care! What I do with my life is my business!" I snarled at them.

"We're your friends," Honey said.

"It's still not your business," I snapped.

"But you can't keep secrets from your beloved daddy can you?" Tamaki said, attaching him self to me.

"You're not my dad," I told him flatly, trying to shrug him off.

He went to his dark little corner where he was ripping paper.

"Stop making a mess that I'm going to have to clean up!" I yelled at him.

"I'm not making a mess," he said pouty. "I'm making a hamster home."

"You don't have a hamster!"

"That's enough," Kyoya said adjusting his glasses. "Don't you want to know what information that my investigation uncovered?"

"enlighten me," I said but I already knew.

"We found that you are involved in an illegal underground fighting circuit," he told me, matter of factly. "We all know that you lack in fighting ability so the real question is why?"

I sat on the couch, putting my face in my hands. I took a big breath to calm my nerves before beginning. "When I was little, I was really sick. My parents didn't have a lot of money so we couldn't afford the doctor bills. So, my dad struck up a deal with Boss Sebachi. He paid the doctor bills and promised to pay Boss back...  
"My parents were killed in a car crash three years ago. I didn't have anybody else. boss wanted me to pay it off... since it was my debt. So, I went to work for him. I'm mostly a bait fighter."

"What's that?" Honey asked.

"They throw me in to fight against better fighters. Ones that will make them more money. I'm there to lose. that's why I get hurt so badly. Sometimes, I'm allowed to win, just to shake it up. but that's pretty much the whole story."

There was a silence. I knew that they wouldn't be able to handle it. I felt like crying because I felt so trapped.

"How much?' Tamaki asked. I hadn't noticed him leave his hamster home.

"Huh?" I blinked.

He put his hands on my shoulders. "How much was the debt?"

"I - I don't know," I stammered. "I've almost have it paid off. Just a few more big fights and I'll be... I'll have it paid off."

Tamaki stared at me. "I'll pay it," he said. "You don't need to be doing this."

"No!" I cried, standing up. "I can take care of myself! I'm okay! I promise!"

"No," Tamaki insisted.

I pushed him away, knocking him down. He and the rest of the club looked shocked.

"I'm fine on my own! I don't need your help and I'm not asking for it! I'm fine!"

I ran out. Down the hall. Someone was following me and I tried to speed up and get away but the person was taller and faster than me. They reached out and grabbed me.

I almost fell but the boy grabbed me, holding me against him.

"M - Mori -sempai?" I stammered, flushing super red and looking up at him.

"It doesn't have to be this way," he told me. "You can come out of this. Just let me help."

"I'm sorry, Mori - sempai," I said, pushing him away. "But, I have to do this on my own."

I pushed away and left him standing there.

"You're late," Boss said. "You have to lose this fight and lose it good."

_It doesn't have to be this way._ Mori's words rung in my ears.

"Rikku," he said shaking me.

"No," I said quietly.

"What?"

"NO!" I screamed. "I won't do this anymore! I know I've paid my debt! I'm done!"

I turned and ran out of the building. In hindsight, I should've just went straight home but i thought that the host club might be there to corner me.

I walked the deserted dark streets, staring at the ground. I still have any idea what was going to happen. I was just going to trust that I'd made the right choice.

But, like with every right choice, you had to pay the price.


	7. Chapter 7: Crossing the Rubicon

It was really too early for phone calls. I was up doing some morning training but I didn't know why anyone else would be. I quickly found out.

The next thing I knew, my cousin and I were in our limo, speeding to the hospital. We ran in as fast as possible. Only Kyoya was there but the rest of the host club was right on our heels.

"What happened?" Tamaki demanded.

He looked as scattered as the rest of us. Even Kyoya was visibly shaken. Mitskuni was barely even awake.

"I'm not sure," Kyoya admitted, adjusting his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "I got a report of Rikku being in critical condition here at the hospital. I don't even know how they knew to reach me."

We all fiddled silently for a moment. Nobody really knew what was going on. Which was scarey.

"Um," a doctor said, appearing in the doorway of the private waiting room. "Which of you is Mr. Ootori?"

Kyoya went over to talk to the doctor.

"Takeshi," Mitskuni said, his arms wrapped tightly around Usa - chan. "Is Rikku going to be okay?"

Again, I really hated lying. "I don't know," I told him.

Kyoya walked back over to us. He didn't look like he had good news. Mitskuni moved closer to me.  
Kyoya hesitated before saying anything. He never hesitated. He never had to dig for words. My heart nearly stopped beating. It had to be really bad for him to have to take so much prep time.

"She's in bad shape," he said finally. "They... they honestly don't think that she'll make it through the night."

My heart did stop. The twins grabbed each other. All the color drained from Tamaki's face. Mitskuni clenched onto my leg. I felt like fainting.

"She was brought in by the ambulance," Kyoya continued. "She... It looks like someone tried to disembowel Rikku. They beat her almost to death. There's a lot of damage and she lost a lot of blood."

I felt like someone was disemboweling me.

"What can we do?" Tamaki asked.

"Wait," he responded. "They can't let anyone in to see here. She's going back into surgery in a few minutes. Like I said there's a lot of damage. Who ever did this to her... they were trying to kill her."

I felt like collapsing. Right there in front of god and everybody. I didn't care. No one seemed real sure of how to react.

_Who would do this to her? When I find them I'm going to rip them apart limb from limb. I'm going to really rip someone's insides out and hang them with it. _

__There was nothing left for us to do but wait. Everyone took a seat. the twins hugged each other crying. Mitskuni curled up in my lap and sobbed. Tamaki leaned forward and sobbed. Even Kyoya seemed close to crying.

_This wasn't supposed to happen... I should've followed her.. I shouldn't have let her go last night. I should've..._

__There was a million things that I should've done. I knew that I could've prevented this somehow but I knew that it wasn't ever going to happen again.

Finally, a doctor came into the waiting room. We'd been sitting there for nearly eight hours. It seemed more like an eternity. No one had left to eat or drink. None of us had really moved. All of us were pretty much catatonic.

Kyoya got up to speak with the doctor. When he returned, he didn't look happy, relieved, or optimistic.  
"She's out of surgery," he sighed. "And back in ICU... There's nothing to really do but wait and pray. She's in a coma..."

"Can we see her?" Mitskuni asked.

"Two at a time," he said. "Even I can't pull enough strings to get us all in there."

Kyoya and Tamaki went to see her first. Then the twins and finally Mitskuni and I went in. It was almost too much for me to be in there. Even the smell was hard to take.

You couldn't really see Rikku. There were too many bandages, tubes, and bruises. Her face was swollen and bruised. I paused by the door.

Mitskuni went to one side of the bed and grabbed her hand. I went to the other side and took her other hand. She always had looked small and fragile to me but now... she was almost unimaginably breakable. I was almost afraid to touch her, being so much bigger. I was afraid the slightest touch might shatter her.

"Hey Ri - chan," Mitskuni said, his voice way steadier than mine would've been. "You need to be okay, alright? We'd really miss you. You have to get better really fast. Right Takeshi?"

I nodded, barely tightening my grip on Rikku's hand. "Right," I agreed.

Mitskuni looked up at me. "Hey Takeshi? Can you sit with her a minute by yourself? I have to go to the bathroom."

I nodded for him to go. He slipped out of the door. I waited until I couldn't hear his footsteps anymore before speaking.

"Rikku," I said carefully, testing out her name on my lips. "Please. Don't die... I... I need you... the whole Host Club needs you... Especially me."

I lifted her hand and kissed the back of it. It was almost too much. I felt sick. Even though I'd barely known the small girl for three months, it seemed like forever. I couldn't imagine my life without her in it. This wasn't how it was supposed to end.

The door opened and Mitskuni stuck his head in. "Kyo - chan needs us."

I left, giving one last look at the girl lying in the hospital bed.

It was decided that someone would stay with Rikku at all times. Kyoya managed to get us that permission. We'd do it in shifts, taking turns missing days of school to be with her. I never wanted to leave. Afraid something might happen while I was gone.

No one had the heart to host and the host club was closed until which point Rikku was better.  
The days dragged by. Pretty soon, a week and a half had passed and she still wasn't awake.

"The fact that she survived this long leads us to believe that she may pull through this," one of the doctors said.

I really hoped that was the case.

It was mine and Mitskuni's night to stay. We wouldn't be attending school the next day either.

"Takeshi," my cousin said. "Do you think that Rikku would like a present? Maybe a bunny like Usa – chan?"

"Ah," I nodded. It was just to distract him. We all needed distractions.

His face lit up for the first time since Rikku's accident. The boy hadn't even been able to eat the cake that he loved so much. He'd just picked at it. Admittedly, none of us had done much of anything, much less eating.

"I'm going to the gift shop okay? You stay here with Rikku!" he said bouncing to his feet. 'I'll be right back!"

He bolted out.

"Rikku," I said. "Everyone really needs you to come back to us. Tamaki can't even pretend to host. Kyoya can't be himself. The twins are impossible. Mitskuni can't eat cake... And I... I can barely breathe. I feel like my arm has been chopped off... Please... come back."

My hand twitched tighter around hers. Mitskuni came in. He had Usa - chan and another rabbit that resembled it.

"Look!" he declared. "It kinda looks like Usa - chan! I thought that Rikku might like it."

He put in between her and her arm, like she was holding it.

"Maybe this will make her better faster," he said, his eyes gleaming with slight optimism. "Do you think so Takeshi?'

"Maybe." I told him. I wanted to believe it as much as he did.


	8. Chapter 8: Let's Play A Game

I wasn't sure what was going on... where I was... I knew I was supposed to be in pain but I wasn't... Maybe i was dead... but what about the boys... Mori... I still needed him... I wasn't... nothing was making sense...

"Rikku," Someone was calling out to me. "Everyone really needs you to come back to us. Tamaki can't even pretend to host. Kyoya can't be himself. The twins are impossible. Mitskuni can't eat cake... And I... I can barely breathe. I feel like my arm has been chopped off... Please... come back."

His hand twitched tighter around mine.

I heard someone come in.

"Look!" It was Honey. He seemed thrilled about something. "It kinda looks like Usa - chan! I thought that Rikku might like it."

Honey placed the object in my hand. I had to wake up. I didn't like hearing Takeshi sound so pained.  
Honey put the thing between me and my arm, like i was holding it.

"Maybe this will make her better faster," he said."Do you think so Takeshi?"

"Maybe."

He didn't believe it. He was... in pain... because me... because I wouldn't wake up.

I just had to open my eyes. I wanted to look at Takeshi and tell him I was okay.

"Mori," I rasped out. "Mori."

"Rikku?" They said together. "Rikku are you awake?"

"Yeah. And you're kinda loud Honey - sempai," I said pushing him away.

"I'm going to get a doctor," Honey proclaimed before bolting right out of the door.

"How are you feeling?" Mori asked as I stared down at the bunny that Honey had gave me.

"I'm sorry If I scared you," I told him. "I really am. How long was I asleep?"

"A week and a half," he said. He reached out and took my hand. With his free hand he turned my face to face his.

"Please," he said with sincerity in eyes and voice. He was practically pleading. "Don't do something like that again. I know it wasn't on purpose but there are times when you do need help. You should've told us. Me especially... I would've done everything in my power. -"

He was interrupted by the doctors rushing in. He was shooed away. After the doctors explained everything that was wrong with me and checked to make sure that I was sort of okay, they let him and the rest of the Host Club back in.

"Are you in any pain?" Kyoya asked.

"They've got me on a lot of morphine. I can't feel anything right now," I reassured him.

"Do you remember what happened?"

_Of course, he's the one who asked. I wonder if he's using the Ootori Police to find out who did this. I hope not. _

__"Um," I said, looking down at the bunny, Honey had name it Hime (princess) - chan. "I... I'd just left the building. I told Boss that I'd quit. I knew I'd paid off my debt. I was going home..." The memory flashed in my head. 'No. I wasn't going home... I wasn't going... anywhere. I was just walking. A van pulled up beside me... The grabbed me and put a bag over my head... I woke up on a table..."

The memories were painful. It scared me. Tears welled up in my eyes and I started shaking a little. I could remember the feeling of the knife slicing my skin open. The blood. Them hitting me. It was all rushing in on me at once.

"That's enough," Mori said forcefully.

I wanted to curl up in a little ball but the doctors told me to lay flat. I didn't want to rip open any stitches. I felt Mori take my hand.

"We know what will cheer you up!" the twins declared in unison, standing up. "Let's play a game."

I was definitely interested. Nothing was ever boring with the twins.

"Alright," I agreed, a smirk tugging on the edge of my lips.

They put hats on, hiding their parts. They spun in rapid circles, trying to confuse me. It might have worked because of the morphine. I wasn't sure. The morphine made my head fuzzy anyway.

"Guess which one is Hikaru," the told me.

I smiled. Honestly I did. I'd seen them play this game with their guests in the host club and no one could ever win. But I knew I could.

"That one," I said pointing to the twin on the left. "Is Kaoru and that one is Hikaru."

Their faces were priceless. They were so shocked. So was the rest of the Host Club when they realized I was right.

"How did you know?" Hikaru asked, his voice showing how shocked he was.

I shrugged. "You two are different people. I don't know how, I just could tell you apart."

"I wish we could hug you!" Kaoru cried.  
"You're so cute!" Hikaru agreed.

"Please don't hug me," I said flatly. Then I yawned. It was amazing how much being asleep in a coma for a week and a half could take out of you.

"Come along everybody," Kyoya said, attempting to hustle every one out. "Rikku needs her rest. We'll come back tomorrow."

Everyone but Mori and Honey left.

"Honey - sempai, Mori - sempai," I said confused. "Aren't you going home?"

"No. It's our turn to stay the night," Honey explained. "We didn't want you to have to be alone."

I smiled. I loved my friends. "So you've done this for over a week. Just taking turns?"

"Uh huh," he nodded. Then he leaned close to me. "Takeshi never wanted to leave."

I fought a smile and glanced at the mysterious older boy in the chair beside my bed. He raised an eyebrow at me, probably wondering what his cousin had just said.

Another week went by before they let me leave the hospital under super strict instructions. I wasn't to move around a whole lot. Someone needed to be with me at all times. I had to make sure to take my medicine.

Mori carried me into my apartment like I was a baby. He was pretty used to carrying Honey around so I probably wasn't anything for him to carry.

"Welcome home, Rikku - san," my landlady said. "I was so worried about you."

"Thank you," I told her. "The doctors said I'll make a full recovery but it's going to take a while."

The woman leaned closer to me. "I doubt you have to worry about anything with all of these nice young men here with you. They seem to be really worried about you."

_She doesn't realize that they're more of a hindrance than a help usually. _"They are but they're idiots."

"Well, I wish I had friends like these growing up," she said her faces lit with a smile. "Especially the tall one with the dark hair. He looks like he's in love with you."

My face turned red and I became interested with my toes.

"Well, I hope you get better soon. If you need anything just call."

She left. My landlady was out of her mind.


	9. Chapter 9: Over My Head

"Look Ri - chan!" Honey said happily prancing form the kitchen, carrying a cake. "I brought strawberry cake cuz I know it's your favorite!"

He was right. I loved strawberries and strawberry cake.

"That's great Honey - sempai," I smiled at him as he put the cake on the table. He sat beside me. The other guys brought over more sweets and tea. They obviously hadn't picked up on my distaste for tea. It was odd because I was Japanese but I just hated it.

Mori sat a different cup in front of me. I looked at it.

"Grape juice," he informed me. I didn't ever recall telling him that I loved grape juice more than strawberries. I smiled up at him.

We sat to eat. Honey inhaling his cake before we even got our slices. Mori shoveled off his strawberries to my plate. He didn't like strawberries and from what I could tell, he wasn't a big fan of sweets either.

"Takeshi doesn't like strawberries," Honey told me. "He always gives them away." He didn't seem to approve of his cousin's distaste for strawberries. I had to agree with him.

I ate all the strawberries and most of my cake but I wasn't really hungry. The doctors said that some of my medicine would take away my appetite so I had to make sure to eat some. After we finished eating, someone's maids (and I wasn't really sure who's) came and cleaned up. Damn rich people.

The twins helped me up to my feet. It really hurt to stand up straight.

"Devil Twins!" Tamaki cried. "Be careful!"

"But Boss," Kaoru said.

"We didn't do anything," Hikaru finished.

"It's just going to hurt," I told him, forcing a smirk.

His eyes got all big and googly. "That's daddy's baby!" he cooed. "You just be strong!"

He was always such a spaz. I was more than used to it now. I expected it.

The twins helped me back to my room. I stretched out carefully, flinching a little.

"Does it hurt really bad?" Kaoru asked.

"Not really," I said. "Depends on how I move."

"Is it going to scar really bad?" Hikaru asked.

It was weird hearing them sound so serious. They hadn't ever really expressed concern before. Maybe that meant that they were expanding their world.

"Yeah," I admitted. "But I planned on it." I traced the lines on my stomach. There were going to be four or five nasty scars and two of them crossed like an x. "They'll look kinda cool one day." I gave them a smile.

"Why would anyone do this to you?" Hikaru asked, putting his head down. "Why would anyone want to kill you?"

I didn't have answer right then, so I changed the subject. "Hey, it's your turn to stay with me isn't it?" I asked.

"Yea," they said together.

"We can watch a bunch of movies. I have like a million," I told them. "And, it beats hospital cable."

That seemed to cheer them up exponentially. They briefly quizzed me about what kind of movies I had until Kyoya came in and asked if he could talk to the twins. They left, promising to be right back.

~~Mori's P.O.V.~~

We stood in a loose circle in Rikku's kitchen. Kyoya had to ask us something, which was never a good sign.

"What if," he said, pushing his glasses up. "Someone comes looking for Rikku?"

That was a legit question. I knew what I'd do. I'd probably just kill them if I suspected that they were in anyway involved with her accident. I could tell from the looks on everyone else's faces that they were thinking the same thing. The twins were probably wondering how to make it last as long as possible.

"Do you think they might come looking for her Kyo - chan?" Mitskuni asked innocently.

"It's a possibility, considering they believe that she's still alive," he said. "I'm hoping that they believe her to be dead because I kept it out of the news and from getting around. Should they find out that Rikku is still alive, they might come back to find her."

"What can we do?" Tamaki asked.

Before Kyoya could answer, there was a knock on the door. My heart skipped a beat and for a moment, no one moved. There was another knock. Mitskuni answered it but I quickly jerked him back.

The stranger was tall and burly. He had a five o'clock shadow and a buzz cut.

"Is Rikku Samato here?" he asked.

"Who the hell are you?" the twins demanded.

~~Rikku's P.O.V.~~

I couldn't hear the boys talking but I did hear the knock.

"Is Rikku Samato here?" I knew that voice. That was Bo.

"Who the hell are you?" the twins demanded.

_Uh - oh, _I thought. _I need to get up and stop this before it starts. _

__I forced myself up out of bed and walked carefully, if not painfully to the door of my bedroom.

"Who the hell are you?" Bo asked.

I made it to the kitchen before they could answer or turn to violence.

"Bo," I called to the man.

"Jesus Christ, Rikku," he said entering and coming over to me.

"Wait, Rikku," Tamaki cried. "You know this guy? Who is he?"

"This is Bo," I told them. "He worked the door where I used to fight. He always looked out for me. Bo, these are my friends. Tamaki Suoh, Takeshi Morinozuka, Mitsukune Honinozuka, Kyoya Ootori, and the Hitachiin twins, Hikaru and Kaoru. Guys, this is Bo. Actually his real name is Kenta Akatsuki but I call him Bo. He's not dangerous."

They were hesitant.

"What are you doing here Bo?" I asked.

"Well, word's gotten around that someone offed you and I got worried when I didn't see you at the fights. So I came to check on you. you look horrible. What happened?"

"Thanks," I mumbled.

"Actually," Kyoya interjected. "She shouldn't be up on her feet. Rikku needs her rest. Maybe we should move this discussion to the living room."

We did. It was actually great to not have to stand up.

"Okay, now tell me," he said. "What happened?'

I wasn't sure if I could force through the whole story again. I'd managed to tell the Host Club but that was almost too much.

"I quit working for Boss Sebachi," I told him. "I was walking that night."

"I saw you leave," he said. "I thought about following you but I couldn't."

"I know," I reassured him. He owed the Boss just as much as I did. "I didn't go home. I was just walking when a van pulled up beside me... they put a bag over my head. It smelled weird and I passed out. I woke up, strapped down to a table. They... they carved me up real good and beat me. I can't really remember most of it. I just know that it hurt. they dumped me in the gutter. I tried to crawl out of the street but I passed out. Next thing I knew...I was waking up in ICU a week and a half later."

Bo didn't say anything right away. He looked angry at his Boss.

"That... monster," he breathed, twisting his fingers around and around in frustration. "You're just a kid... You paid your debt..."

"You know Bo," I told him. "I'm well taken care of. These guys helped me out a lot. Thank you for being worried about me but you don't have to worry about me anymore."

"Actually," Kyoya said, adjusting his glasses. Oh my god. I wished he'd quit that. "He can help you. If he's up to it."

"What ever you need," Bo said anxiously.

"tell everyone that you came here," Kyoya said. "Tell everyone that you found out that Rikku is dead."  
Both Bo and I gave him wide eyed confused looks.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because, we don't want anyone who hurt you to come back thinking that they can get you again," Kyoya explained. "you understand, don't you Bo?"

He nodded. "I'll tell them. I'll still be allowed to check on Rikku, right?" he asked. "She's like a kid to me. I just want to make sure that she's in good hands."

_that's sweet. _I thought.

"Certainly," Kyoya agreed. "But for now, this visit has to be cut short. Rikku needs to rest."  
I sighed, allowing the twins to help me into my room.

~~Mori's P.O.V.~~

"Listen," Bo said to Kyoya. "I know that you've got way more money and power than me but, I have connections. I was just working for Sebachi to look after Rikku. I'm the leader of an important sect. I'm going to take care of him myself."

that was interesting. Apparently, Kyoya thought so too.

"Why didn't you simply finish him of earlier?'

"For Rikku. She has a determination to do everything on her own. She's been alone for so long. I wanted to make sure that she got out first. If not, she'd be honor bound to fight back because that's how she is. Just leave this to me."

He headed for the door. "Also, thanks for looking out for her. She needed good friends like you guys."

He left.


	10. Chapter 10: What Happens When You Die?

Two days after Bo came over, I sat in my living room with Kyoya. I'd spent enough one on one time with all of the Host Club guys that I didn't really care to be alone with them. Even Devil Man, Kyoya.

I was watching an old Disney movie, the Hunchback of Notre Dame, for about the eleventh time.

Kyoya had just ordered take out. It took some time to explain to the guys that we didn't have to eat rich every night.

"Kyoya - sempai," I said.

He looked up at me, from his laptop.

"I really hate it when you push your glasses up on your nose when you talk," I told him. He'd just done it so I had to point it out.

He gave me an amused smirk. "Really?" he asked, doing the very thing that I just told him I hated.

"Yes," I said. "You just did it again! Is it like habit or something?"

"I don't know. I never thought about it before."

"I think that it's a protection mechanism," I said.

"Excuse me?"

I thought about what I was going to say, chewing on my lower lip slightly. "Well," I said slowly. "You do it when you're being scarey a lot. Or when you're trying to be bigger than someone. I think it's just because you don't want anyone to see that you're scared. You just want people to think that you're better than them so they won't fight back."

"I don't think so," he said, adjusting his glasses.

I smiled at him. "I do," I said. "Um, I also want to thank you for taking care of me. You did a lot."

He smirked again. "I think that the one you should really be thanking is Mori - sempai," he said.  
I gave him a confused look. "What do you mean?"

"He donated the maximum amount of blood to you. He stayed more than anyone and he was the one who suggested that we read or talk to you while you when you were in the coma."

_He donated blood to me? _I thought. _Mori never said anything to me about it._

"Of course, Mori - sempai will never say anything about it. He did because he cares for you. We all do," Kyoya continued.

"Thank you though," I told him. "I don't know what would've happened if you guys didn't take such good care of me."

The takeout had arrived and Kyoya got up to answer the door. As he passed, he patted the top of my head.

"Just get better," he requested.

"Look, Ri - chan!" Honey said prancing in. "I brought cake!"

He never ate anything but cake until Mori made him.

"What kind?" I asked.

"Strawberry!" he said joyfully. Omg. strawberry. I loved it when Mori and Honey came over.

"I brought Bento," Mori said, holding them up. He always had real food. Like me, he couldn't survive on sugar alone. I was surprised that Honey apparently could.

Which leads me to think this: _The reason all those kids with "reckless" parents that give them nothing but sugar stay skinny because their parents let them run around. Like idiots because they're so hyped up. I think that's how Honey - sempai stays so small._

Honey deposited the cake on the table and hoped on the couch beside me. He hugged me but not too tightly. I was looking forward to being treated like normal. Not like I was made of porcelain. I was also looking forward to not hurting all of the time.

"You should've been at school today, Ri - chan! Kao - chan fell in the lunch room and got his soup all over Tama - chan!" he told me. "It was so funny! Hika - chan almost cried from laughing so hard!"

I started laughing, imaging the situation in my head. I really missed going to school. Thankfully, everyone thought to get my home work and bring it to me every night so I could stay caught up.

* * *

"You really like movies don't you, Ri - chan?" Honey asked as I paused what I'd been watching.

"Yeah," I told him. "Can't afford cable and no commercials."

He laughed, like he got it. I wasn't entirely sure that he understood but I was going to let it go. After dinner, I did my homework, with little help from my seniors, and we all settled in for bed.

"Good night, Ri - chan!" Honey called.

"Good night," Mori told me.

"Night guys," I said.

I laid down, staring at my ceiling. I didn't like sleeping so much since I stopped taking the medicine to help me sleep. Without the chemicals, I started having nightmares. I would wake up in a cold sweat at least twice every night.

It was no different tonight. I dreamed of the cool knife, slicing open my flesh. The crazed look of satisfaction on my attackers.

I jerked up, drowning on air, in blankets, without making a sound. a surge of pain flashed through my body and I cringed.

_Just remember to breathe. _I told myself, as I stood. I slipped into the kitchen. It was getting easier to walk, which was a good thing in my opinion. I hated to have to depend on everyone else do everything for me.

I opened the refrigerator and got a bottle of grape juice that the twins had bought for me.  
"Rikku?" came Mori's tired voice. I jumped when I heard it, nearly dropping my juice.

"Sorry," he apologized.

"It's okay," I told him shakily. "I didn't hear you come up. I didn't wake you did I?"

"No," he said.

I took a drink of my juice, looking at Mori from the corner of my eye.

"Why are you up?" he asked.

I put the juice down on the counter and turned to look at him. "I had a nightmare," I admitted sheepishly. It was kind of dumb for a kid my age to be having nightmares still.

"About the attack?"

"Yeah..." I told him. "Can I tell you something?"

"Sure," he agreed.

I held out my pinky. It wasn't anything that I wanted the Club to know. It might just stress them out or worse, they might think I needed counseling. Which I didn't.

"This pinky promise is legit," I told him. "If you break this pinky promise. I'll break your pinky – promise."

Mori nodded.

"All of the host club thinks that Boss Sebachi was trying to kill me," I told him. "but he wasn't. If he wanted me dead he would've just killed me."

"Then why," Mori asked, slightly disbelieving. "Did he have this done to you?"

"To remind me," I explained. "That I still belong to him."

Mori reached out and pulled me into a tight hug. "You don't belong to anyone. Especially him. The only one you're allowed to belong to is me."

"Wh - what?" I stammered.

Mori looked down at me. My face filled with heat.

"I never, ever, want to see you hurt like that again. I want to hold you and protect you and never let you go," he explained. "Mostly, I want you to be mine."

I stared at him open mouthed. He smirked, which was unusual for him. Finally, I recovered myself.

"When I was in the hospital," I told him. "the first thing I heard was you telling me that you felt like your arm had been chopped off. I didn't like how you sounded. You sounded sooo sad. I wanted to wake up and tell you that I was okay. So I did."

He was full on smiling now. He kissed me.

At that moment, for whatever reason, I wondered what would happen once I died. I figured if I was going to heaven, I'd want it to be exactly like this.

* * *

**BlackRoseKai: Wow. Chapter Ten.**

**Karson27: Why weren't you at school today?**

**BlackRoseKai: Didn't want to go.**

**Karson27: Wow you're a bum.**

**BlackRoseKai: You're just mad I got away with it without faking sick.**

**Karson27: You didn't fake sick. I'm telling mom!**

**BlackRoseKai: What is she ... Wait! Don't tell Mom! She'll tell Dad! He'll ground me!**

**Runs after Karson27.**

***I hope everyone enjoys this! please comment!**


	11. Chapter 11: Road to RecoveryBacklash

I got the all clear to return to school after two weeks of being at home. I was still on light duty. Most of my bruises had went away and only my cuts hurt. I was doing physical therapy to get my strength back in my abdomen.

"Are you glad to be back, Rikku?" one of the girls that I usually entertained asked.

"Yes," I told her, smiling. "I got very tired of sitting at home doing nothing."

"She watched every movie she owned at least twice," Kaoru said.  
"Most of them were American Disney movies," Hikaru added.  
"She knew every line," they said together.

"So do you," I told them, pretending to be insulted.

"Yeah. Now," they said flatly.

We all laughed. After school, we headed off to Host Clubroom. All of the girls were thrilled to see me again and kept cooing over me. It was kind of annoying but in true hosting fashion, I sweetly allowed it. Which made them flip.

By the time club hours had ended, I was exhausted.

"Did you like your first day back?" Kyoya asked.

"I'm tired," I answered. "But I'm glad to be back."

"We're glad you're back too!" Tamaki squealed wrapping his arms around me in a super tight hug.  
"You're hurting me," I groaned. "Let me go."

He gave a cry, prancing off to his emo corner, muttering about how his baby daughter didn't like him anymore. Which was ludicrous but I expected it. Even though I was dead tired, I missed the Host Club and its antics.

"Are you ready to go?" Takeshi asked me, standing behind me.

"Yeah," I nodded turning to face him. "I can't believe how much I missed these guys."

Takeshi smiled down at me. I could barely believe that we'd been dating for almost two weeks. The other guys took it better than I'd expected.

~~Two Weeks Earlier~~

_"So," I said my face reddening. "Takeshi and I are dating now." Might as well get it right out there._

_Honey jumped up, grinning hugely. "Yay! It's about time! I thought I was going to have to wait forever!" He seemed happy._

_"I'm happy for you both but it might be an awkward situation if you reveal it at school but that's entirely up to you," Kyoya said. "You don't have to host anymore, Rikku."_

_I looked at Tamaki, who was sitting next to Kyoya. He jumped to be face to face with me. "Are you asking for Daddy's permission?" he asked._

_I gave him a flat look. "No. I just didn't want you guys to freak out when you see us acting like a couple. You're my friends."_

_That sent him spiraling to his emo corner._

_"Well," Hikaru said. "We're okay with this."_

_"On one condition," Kaoru said holding up hi index finger._

_"This will be good," I mumbled._

_"You're not allowed to be a bad boyfriend, Mori - sempai," Hikaru said.  
"If you hurt our favorite toy," Kaoru began.  
"We're going to hurt you. Really bad."_

_"I'd deserve it," Takeshi said in his usual monotone. "I promise not hurt her."_

_~~_Current~~

Honey, Takeshi, and I were heading to my house. It was going to be the first night I spent alone since my accident. It was certainly going to be weird since I'd gotten so used to having someone there with me.

"If you need anything, call me," Takeshi said as we stood in front of my apartment door. I could feel the anxiety rolling off of him.

I slid my arms around his waist and hugged him tight. "I will," I told him. "Promise."

Takeshi held his pinky up. I linked it with mine.

"If you break this pinky promise," he began. "I'll break your pinky - promise. Well, not really but you get the idea."

I smiled and kissed him. Then, I disappeared into my house.

~~~Outside Narrator~~~

Night came. As it did, it found all of our Host Club in a tense situation.

The twins found it impossible to sleep. They stared up at their ceiling in the dark as they laid together, wondering what was going on.

Kyoya stared at the empty screen of his laptop, unsure of what to type. Every time he tried something, he just erased it because it seemed wrong.

Even Honey found it difficult to eat his cake. He just picked at it, absentmindedly. He finally just gave it up and left the kitchen.

Tamaki paced. Back and forth across the length of his room, wringing his hands.

Mori wandered all over his house, unable to sleep. He wondered what was keeping him awake.

Yes, all of the boys, and Rikku, who was laying in bed wide awake, found sleep impossible. They were waiting anxiously for something. They just didn't know what but they were about to.

~~Rikku's P.O.V.~~

I stared at my ceiling. The house was too quiet. Too dark. It was almost smothering me. I rolled over and grabbed my cell phone.

I stared at it debating on my next move. Finally, I ceded, and speed dialed Takeshi.

"Rikku?" he sounded more alert and awake than I was.

"Hey," I said. "I can't sleep. I'm actually kind of freaking out."

"Do I need to come over?" he asked.

"No," I told him sitting up. "Just talk to me for a while and I - " I cut off because the sounds a screaming and fighting erupted outside of my apartment.

"Rikku?" Takeshi asked cautiously. "What's wrong?"

I stood up, clenching Hime to my chest. "There's someone fighting outside," I explained to him.

"Don't leave your room," he warned. "I'm coming over."

There was crashing and breaking and I jumped, nearly dropping my phone.

"Rikku!" Takeshi cried.

"They're in my house," I told him. "They just broke down the front door."

I heard him growl. "Get in you're closet," he instructed. "I'm coming."

I did as I was told. Being as quiet as possible, I opened my closet door, sat down and shut it with a soft click.

"Stay on the phone with me okay?" he urged trying to be calm.

Frightened tears streamed down my face.

"Now, what's going on?"

I listened. "The fighting stopped," I told him. "Takeshi, I'm scared."

"I know, I know," he soothed. "It'll be okay. I'm almost there."

The door to my room opened and I fought the urge to gasp. "There in my room," I whispered as the door to my closet swung open. The men reached out. I screamed and dropped my phone.

"Rikku! Rikku!" Takeshi's voice exploded from the device.

~~Takeshi's P.O.V.~~

It had to be the worst sound that I'd ever heard. the sound of Rikku's frightened screams and sounds of her struggling against her attackers. All I could do was listen.

The screaming started to get further away.

"Damn it," I cursed ending the call. I dialed my cousin's phone number. "Mitsukune, I need you to be at Rikku's house in five minutes."

I didn't wait for his response. I hung up and dialed Kyoya.

"I need everyone at Rikku's apartment now," I said quickly. Kyoya didn't even ask. I snapped it shut.

This couldn't be happening. I couldn't believe it. When I found out who did this, they were going to wish that they never even heard Rikku's name.


	12. Chapter 12: Break My Pinky

_~~One Week Earlier~~_

_I was laying with Rikku, watching her sleep. She had another nightmare. She was curled into my side, her arm draped across my stomach._

_I was interested in her little fingers. The pinky. It was what first got my attention, that night when she confessed what she was really up to. Pinky promises._

_I linked her pinky with mine and brought her hand up to my face. I kissed the back of her hand.  
"I'll always protect you," I murmured. "And if I break this pinky promise, you can break my pinky – promise."_

__~~Current~~

"Where is she?" I snarled slamming one of the men that had been laying on the floor into the wall.

"I - I don't know!" he stammered obviously terrified.

"Why are you here?" I demanded.

He just stammered around, not getting a real sentence out.

"You better tell us," Mitskuni warned. "Or you'll be sorry."

"W - We don't know," the other guy said. "We work for Kenta in the Fifty Fifth Sect. He's had us staking out this place for the last couple of days."

"Why?" I growled.

"He was worried about the girl that lives here," the man that I had explained. "The guys that took her came out of no where and they had weapons."

"Where are they taking her?" I demanded. "Tell me!"

"I don't know!" he choked. He wasn't helping me. I wanted to kill him.

"Takeshi," Mitskuni said. "I don't think that they know."

I threw the guy on the floor, running my hands through my hair. I wanted to die. Just drop on the floor and die... but I couldn't do that until after I saved Rikku.

"Um," came a small voice from the doorway. It was Rikku's landlady. She looked really scared. "Mori - san, Honey - san, I saw... I saw where they went with Rikku."

I shifted to face her more completely. Every muscle in my body was tense, ready to pounce.

"I followed them... Down the block... There's a warehouse. That's where they took her."

I flew out of the door, nearly knocking the woman over. I by passed the entire host club. There wasn't going to be any stopping me. If they had turned one hair on Rikku's head... there would be blood and lots of it.

~~Honey's P.O.V.~~

The host club came running in. I was still standing in the same spot. I couldn't move. I'd never seen my calm cousin like this. He looked ready... Ready to kill.

"What happened?" the twins demanded.

I stared down at the floor.

"Someone took Ri - chan," I told them. "We have to hurry! Takeshi is going to kill somebody!"

That was all they needed to know. They followed me as I ran after my cousin. It wasn't supposed to happen like this.

~~Rikku's P.O.V.~~

I was thrown on the floor. I was scared to death. I didn't understand what was going on.  
"This is a lot of trouble for just some kid to cause," one of my captors said, looking at me skeptically.  
"Maybe it wasn't her," another suggested.

"Oh, it was," came a voice that I recognized. It was Boss Sebachi's son. "Wasn't it Rikku?"

"W - what are you talking about?" I stammered, pressing myself flatter against the wall. I had to think of something to do. I had to get away. "Ryo, please tell me what's going on. Why are you doing this?"

"Revenge," he said, giving a slight shrug.

"Revenge?" I gasped. "For what? I didn't do anything."

He was suddenly in my face, slapping me hard across the cheek. I gasped. "Nothing?" he sounded angry and spiteful. "You've done nothing? You had my father killed!"

I almost couldn't speak, mostly because my face hurt from Ryo's slap. "I... I didn't..." I said, tears flowing down my face. "I... didn't..."

"More lies!" he screamed. "You lie and you lie! You had those men in the Fifty fifth sect kill him!"  
"I don't know what you're talking about!" I cried.

He slapped me again. "You're pathetic," he scoffed. "I know that you hired them."

He walked back. I heard a gun cock and I nearly stopped breathing.

_This is it, _I thought. _I love you Takeshi. _

__"I know it and now, you're going to pay for it," Ryo said, aiming the gun at me. "No hard feelings though. It's not personal. It's just business, you understand right, Rikku?"

I closed my eyes, choosing not to look in the eyes of my killer. I was scared. I couldn't save myself. I wished Mori was there.

Then, he suddenly was. He round house kicked Ryo in the face, sending the gun flying.

"Takeshi!" I cried.

He rushed over to me, helping me to my feet.

"I'm so sorry," he said. "I should've been faster."

"Don't take your eyes off your opponent!" one of the kidnappers snarled.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," came Kyoya's cool, evil voice. "In all actuality, it might be best if you two just sit down like good boys."

I looked past Takeshi to see all of the Host Club, positioned - rather dramatically - by the door. They all looked very angry.

I could feel Takeshi shaking, like it was all he could do to restrain himself. I hugged him. "Thank you for saving me," I murmured. "It's over now. It's okay."

He picked me up, bridal style, and carried me away.

~~Mori's P.O.V.~~

Everything scared me at that moment. I was scared that I was going to lose it after seeing the blood dripping out of Rikku's mouth and the man with a gun pointed at her, explaining that it was just business.

Even after everything that had happened, she tried to make me feel better. She held me and told me that it was going to be okay. I couldn't believe it.

Well, there was no way that I was letting her stay home. Ever again. I got the okay from my parents to let her stay over.

I carried her back into my room and we laid down on my bed. She cuddled up next to me as close as possible.

"You're still shaking," Rikku said, propping herself up to look at me. "It's okay. It's all over."

I brushed my fingers lightly against her cheek. Not the hurt one. "I failed," I told her.

"How?" she blinked, obviously confused.

"I pinky promised to protect you and I couldn't," I said, nearly choking on the admission of my failure. "I... I..."

"Listen to me, Takeshi," she said sitting on her knees. She put her hands on either side of my face and brought me up to her. We were so close our foreheads were touching. "You. Saved. Me. I was going to die but you saved me."

"No, I -"

"Takeshi Morinozuka!" she insisted. "You saved my life. I'm still here and I'm perfectly fine. I wouldn't have been without you."

She smiled at me, her green eyes bright, even in the dark. After a quick kiss, she snuggled in beside me. Suddenly, I was looking forward to the day where this would happen every morning.


	13. Chapter 13: One Last Picture

"One last picture!" That's what Hikaru and Kaoru's mom said as we stood in our caps and gowns. The Host Club gathered around, smiling hugely.

She snapped the pictures and we formed a circle. I could barely believe that my high school career was over. It was amazing how fast time went by.

Everyone talked animatedly about the last ride ball that the Host Club was having later that night. It was the last thing that the Host Club was going to do. One last ball before the doors of Music Room 3 were closed forever. It was almost sad.

"We're going to have loads of fun tonight," Honey said happily.

"We made the best dress ever for Rikku," Kaoru said.  
"Yeah, it's a one of kind design," Hikaru said.

"I hope you guys didn't go over board," I mumbled, making a face at them.

"You'll like it," they promised.

I laughed but suddenly wasn't so sure. The twins were known for their craziness - especially when it came to my outfits.

Takeshi gave me a kiss, out of really nowhere.

"Whoa," I breathed.

"I'm proud of you," he smiled. I turned red.

"Hey, no fair," Tamaki said scooting in between Takeshi and I. "I want to hug my precious daughter!"

"We want to hug Rikku too!" the twins said.

"Stay back Devil Twins!" Tamaki warned.

"Kyoya," I groaned, smothering in Tamaki's vice like grip. "Make him stop! He's crushing me."

Kyoya got an amused look on his face. He wasn't going to help me. Stupid Devil Man. "I'm afraid I can't help you out of this situation."

"Honey - sempai!" I called.

Honey had gotten taller over the last three years. He was officially taller than me. He looked down at me and said, with a smile, "I can't. Tama - chan wants to hug his daughter."

"Well, if you don't save me, you can't hug your cousin," I said.

He smiled, obviously content to watch me be crushed to death by Tamaki.

"We have to go, Mitskuni," Takeshi said. "Take good care of her Kyoya."

He gave me a kiss.

"Where are you going?" I cried reaching out to him. "At least save me, before you go!"

Takeshi pulled me out of Tamaki's death hold. I was laughing hysterically as I turned to face Takeshi.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"It's a surprise," he smiled at me and gave me another kiss. "Don't let them run over you. We'll be back at the ball. I'll meet you there later."

"Okay," I gave him a slight kiss and waved good bye.

"Well," Hikaru began.  
"Does this mean," Kaoru continued  
"We get to play with Rikku by ourselves all day?" they cooed.

"Tamaki and I will be accompanying you all day," Kyoya said, scribbling things down on his Black Book of Demon Knowledge. "So, you won't be doing anything too rough."

Apparently, there was a god and his messenger was Kyoya... I'd take what I could get - no matter how crazy it seemed. That was something that I'd learned from the Host Club.

~~Mori's P.O.V.~~

I walked into the jewelers with Mitskuni. I was kinda nervous because I didn't have a clue as to what I was doing. And thinking about what I had to do later that night made me sick to my stomach.

"Everything will okay Takeshi," Mitskuni tried to encourage me. That was half of the reason that I brought him with me. "You and Ri - chan love each other. It'll work out just fine."

Had to love his logic.

~~Rikku's P.O.V.~~

The day went on. After lunch, the boys made me take them to the supermarket. I couldn't believe that after all the years that they'd known me, they still had an obsession with commoner's culture. I figured they would've experienced enough of it.

Finally, we started to prepare for the party. The twins pushed me into a dressing room, with my dress for that night.

It was made of light, silky fabric. It was black and went down to just past my knees and had spaghetti straps. There was a sparkly red sash around the waist with a diamond encrusted thing in the middle. I put it on. The twins had really gone all out on this dress.

I smiled at myself in the mirror. Over the last few years, my hair had gotten a little longer. It was down at my shoulders now, and some of the host club members (mainly the twins and Tamaki) asked that I never cut it again.

With one last look at myself, I went out to join the host club. Takeshi gave me a surprised smile, letting me know what he thought of the dress.

"Thank you," Tamaki said in his usual grandiose fashion. "From the bottom of our hearts, for joining us one last time as our Host Club guests. Please, enjoy the festivities."

We all bowed and the party began.

~~Mori's P.O.V.~~

_I'll have to thank the twins, _I thought after seeing Rikku in her dress. _She looks... breath taking. _

__After the introduction, we moved out into the crowd. All of the host club insisted on dances with Rikku, which didn't bother me. I needed time to gather myself anyway.

The dance with Mitskuni and Rikku wasn't really a dance. They just spun around in rapid circles, laughing the whole time.

After Mitskuni, Kaoru - I think, I never figured out how Rikku told them apart, though she'd tried to teach me - stepped in and danced with her for a minute before handing her off to his twin.

After him, Tamaki tried to cut in but Kyoya took her before he got the chance. That sent him into his patented Tamaki style fits. It was funny to watch.

Once Kyoya decided that Tamaki had suffered enough, she passed her along to Tamaki. Rikku seemed to be having the time of her life.

I knew how much she liked to dance. She'd dance with me in the kitchen of our apartment to no music.  
After Tamaki had his time, I interceded and danced her right out onto the balcony. The night was much cooler than inside the building.

"You look stunning," I told her, brushing some of her hair to the side.

She gave me an embarrassed look. "Thank you," she said.

I took her hand in mine. "You know, we've been together for nearly three years," I began.

_That's the worse opening line ever. Way to go idiot. Might as well run with it though, _I though, my inner idiot was working over time today.

"I never want to be without you," I told her, slowly dropping down to one knee. "I love you more than anyone else in this world and I would be honored if you married me."

Rikku stared at me for a moment, her mouth hanging open and her eyes wide with shock and unshed tears. It looked like her heart may have stopped beating. I knew mine did.

Finally, she responded my flinging herself on me and kissing me. "Of course!" she cried

.  
I never figured out what I did to deserve her. I never expected Rikku to be so enthusiastic either. I was expecting a simple yes but I got a tackle hug, a kiss and a yes. Best night ever.

~~Later~~

Rikku was asleep in the bed with me. She was curled up to my side, her new shiney engagement ring sitting on my chest.

I picked her hand up carefully, to not disturb her as she slept. I liked my pinky with Rikku's.

"I'll love you forever," I mumbled. "This pinky promise is legit and if I break this pinky promise, you can break my pinky – promise."

I kissed the back of her hand and finally fell asleep.


	14. Chapter 14: The Time We Have Left

Life started way to early in the morning. I hated waking up. Not because of the things I did and the people I'd see - definitely not - it was just that it was really cold outside of my safe blanket cocoon.

"Rikku," Takeshi mumbled in my ear. He had his arm draped across my waist and was practically laying on top of me. His weight was comfortable. "We need to get the kids up. The Host Club will be here soon."

I shifted underneath him, groaning a little. "Fine," I said tiredly. "Did you enjoy your run this morning?"

"Haven't went," he said, resting his forehead in the cook of my neck. Yea. Neither of us were real morning people, so by genetics, neither were our children.

I pulled myself out of bed. Takeshi and I used the divide and conquer approach to wake our kids up. He handled our twelve year old son and I got our six year old daughter.

"Yori," I whispered, bending over next to the small child. "Yori, it's time to get up."

She tried to roll away. I sighed. I wasn't good at getting up either of our kids. Especially Yori but the good thing about her was, like my son, there was someone that she always wanted to see.

"Hurry up or you won't be dressed when Akita get's here," I said.

That made her sit up at least. I smiled and left the room, having already put her clothes out. I went down to the kitchen. I sat on the counter. Takeshi joined me shortly after.

He smiled, rubbing his fingers through his hair and gave me a kiss. The door opened.

"Takeshi!"Honey said loudly upon entering. His two kids came in with him.

The oldest,Raiga, was the same age as my son. He reminded me a lot of Honey. He had the same blond hair and big brown eyes. His younger son, the same age as Yori,was more like Takeshi. Strong and silent and protective. They sprinted upstairs to see their cousins.

"Morning," Takeshi greeted.

Honey came into the kitchen, grabbed our sugar jar and poured coffee into it. He got a spoon and started eating it. I flinched, looking away.

"Ew," both Takeshi and I said in unison.

"School's out today," he told us.

"Why?"

"I dunno," he shrugged. "Means I got up for nothing."

I fought back a laugh.

Suddenly, noise came from the door as Tamaki and his son skipped in.

"Good morning all!" Tamaki said, in his melodramatic fashion. "No school today!"

His son, Tsukikio, bounced into the kitchen and hugged me. He was exactly like his father. Except, maybe not as emotionally stupid. He was one of the older kids at fourteen.  
"Good morning big sister!" he said happily. He started that once he realized that his dad called me his daughter.  
"Good morning Otuto - chan," I said, flashing him a smile. Takeshi patted the top of his head.

Kyoya came in next, with his three kids. His daughter, Hana who was fourteen, was the pride and joy of the Ootori family. She'd have no problem taking over her father's company one day. His sons, Mirochu, ten, and Rayshi, eight, bounced in happily after them.

Tsukikio mauled over Hana, which brought flashbacks of the Host Club days. Tamaki prattled on to Kyoya how their kids were going to get married. Kyoya looked at his daughter like, you marry him and I'll disinherit you. She smirked helplessly at him.

My son, Ichiro, came down the stairs toting Raiga on his back. Yep, Not much changed. Yori, carried by Akita came down after them.

"I think they're doing it wrong," Honey mumbled, smiling.

The twins showed up. Their six hyperactive children dashing in. Their oldest, Rai - who belonged to Hikaru - and Tai - who was Kaoru's - were eleven. They acted more like twins than cousins. They looked alike too. Then their youngest, the youngest of the whole group, Saya and Senna - Hikaru's twins at four - and Reno - Kaoru's son at four also - were more like triplets. I sometimes wondered how they survived without each other.

"There's no school today!" the Twins announced. "We should all do something together!"

"Yeah! We'll meet you in the limo!" Tsukikio said, picking Hana up and sprinting outside. Kyoya didn't even try to intercede.

"Where are we going to go?" Mirochu asked, jumping up and down, half hanging on his dad's arm.

"Somewhere fun!" Raiga called.

"Super fun!" Rai and Tai agreed.

"How about your beach theme park?" Tamaki suggested, pressing a finger to his chin.

"We're in!" the twins agreed.

Hikaru picked up his twins, one on each arm and Kaoru picked Reno up.

"Let's go boys!" they said. "We'll meet you there!"

They dashed outside.

Everyone agreed to meet up at the Ootori's place. I smiled at all of the craziness.

~~Mori's P.O.V.~~

At the theme park, every one had fun. The twins' youngest kids weren't able to swim. I found it funny to see them being so daddy like. I never could've imagined them that way in high school.

Tamaki's son made Kyoya's daughter put on a cover up to hide her bathing suit. Reminded me of how Tamaki treated Rikku along time ago. Mirochu and Rayshi then attempted to drown Tsukikio.

Ichiru, my oldest son, reminded me a lot of myself. He liked to have Raiga to cling on him. He looked like me too.

Then, there was Yori. She was a lot like your mother, except she was a clinger. Which worked out great with Mitskuni's son Akita, who liked to be clinged to.

"Daddy!" Yori cried, running up to me frantically. I sat up a little straighter, worried. "I want to go swim in the deep part but Aki - chan won't take me!"

I sighed, glad that was all it was. "I'll take you in a minute."

She looked up at me. Her green eyes big and bright, just like her mothers. She held out her pinky, which surprised me a little. "Pinky prowmise?"

I linked my pinky with hers. My hands were a million times bigger than hers. She was small. So small.  
"Pinky promise," I said, smiling.

She was satisfied with that and ran off to tell Akita that I was going to take her to the deep end. It wasn't going to make him happy but he was going to learn that she was going to get her way somehow and that he'd just better give in so he could be there in case something happened. I went through the same thing with Mitskuni.

Yori ran into her mom on the way. Rikku - she was still as gorgeous as she was the first day I met her. She was wearing her black bikini top and black bikini shortie shorts. All her scars from the accident that had happened so long ago were out in the open. They didn't bother her as much as they did me.

"Takeshi," Rikku said, jumping into my lap. "You're staring at me like I'm a mutant. Stop."

I smiled embarrassed and kissed her cheek.

_Time may change things but so much stays the same. There's no use in avoiding it. Time is going to march on weather or not we want it to. Might as well enjoy the time we have left._


	15. IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ!

**THANK YOU FOR BEING APART OF THIS!**

**THIS STORY IS BEING REWROTE. IT WILL HAVE MORE CHAPTERS AND MORE INFORMATION AND WILL HOPEFULLY BE BETTER WRITTEN.**

**IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, LOOK IT UP. IT'S CALLED**

_**PINKY PROMISES**_

**THANK YOU!**

**Sincerely, **

**BLACKROSEKAI!**


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